Veteran Bombay exhibitor and distributor Arun Gajanan Vartak passed away this morning (2nd January) in a hospital in Bombay. He was 82 years old and had been in poor health for around two decades after he suffered a paralytic stroke. Following the stroke, the otherwise energetic Vartak — or AG, as he was fondly called — used to be at home only.
Vartak owned a distribution and exhibition office in Naaz Cinema building. Among the cinemas in Bombay, which he jointly owned with the Pranlal Doshi family are Central Plaza (Girgaon), Super (Grant Road) and Sahakar Plaza (Chembur). He was also the owner of Anupam Cinema (Goregaon East, Bombay), Kailash Cinema (Wada, Maharashtra) and Jawahar Cinema (Nerul, Navi Mumbai). He served as the president of the Cinematograph Exhibitors’ Association of India for many years.
A.G. Vartak had varied business interests. He was the owner of Gajanan Vartak Polytechnic College at Vasai in Thane district, and had a Bajaj Scooter agency un the same locality. He also owned agricultural and non-agricultural land. At Dahanu (in Palghar district of Maharashtra), he owned a huge plot of land admeasuring 450 acres, on which the family cultivates fruits.